


Peonies Fluttering in the Wind

by agent37draws



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, M/M, POV Outsider, iwaoi - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-26
Updated: 2020-03-26
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:07:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23323669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/agent37draws/pseuds/agent37draws
Summary: Tobio thinks that Tooru is cold and strong, until Iwaizumi Hajime leaves to fight in the front lines.Or, alternately, Shiratorizawa is invading, and Tobio sees how the perfect partnership of Tooru and Hajime works when one of them is fighting in a war. (Spoiler alert, it does not. Work, that is.)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 6
Kudos: 34





	Peonies Fluttering in the Wind

The first time Tobio had ever truly seen Tooru weep was when Iwaizumi-senpai left to go fight on the frontlines. He hadn’t ever been very close to his older cousin, as Tooru’s duties as Crown Prince kept him busy and he was a whole five years older than Tobio anyways, so all Tobio really knew about his cousin was an ice cold smile flashed when certain nobles were being far too overbearing along with Tooru’s carefully curated public image. 

He shivered at the idea of having a public image. Tobio was self knowledgeable enough to know that he would make a truly terrible king- for all the good that did when he was second in line for the throne. Sometimes Tobio wished he could corner his cousin and say...what exactly? “I don’t ever want to be king so you shouldn’t see me as a threat?” or maybe “You’re one of the only people I look up to- but I never want to _be_ you.” If he played out the scenario in his head, Imaginary Tooru would no doubt give him one of those contemptuous sneers and toss his hair haughtily, saying something along the lines of “ _How cute- Tobio-chan thinks I’m afraid of him_ ” or something equally false and obnoxious. 

He liked Iwaizumi-senpai though. It was hard not too. Iwaizumi-senpai was Tooru’s main bodyguard as the most talented squire in the kingdom, and so he would often have a warm smile for Tobio and a sticky honey bun whenever the two cousins were together for some royal function or another. Whenever Tooru and Tobio’s parents would be stuck in some boring meeting all day, he often brought Tobio to the training grounds, where he would watch Iwaizumi-senpai spar with other squires or, if he was lucky, knights sparring with each other. Life was peaceful, a little boring, as it should be for a prince of a prosperous trading nation.

He wasn’t so much told about the invasion as made _aware_ of it. 

It started with the grim looks on all of the knights’ faces, and the slightly terrified faces of their squires- all expect for Iwaizumi-senpai, who instead seemed to radiate more intensity than ever before. Suddenly, the training grounds rang with the harsh clang of metal against wood as new recruits came flooding into the barracks, and training intensified. If Tooru had been busy before, it was nothing compared to now- where he attended not only harvest meetings but also war councils. Orders came from Tooru to start cutting down on the size of royal banquets, and storing unperishables deep underground. Gardens were cut down and wheat planted in their place, all while the castle slowly emptied as nobles returned to their estates and made similar preparations. 

Iwaizumi-senpai began to teach him archery, “just in case” he had muttered, heavy brows furrowed in worry as he glanced at where the drapes were drawn in the window leading to the War Room. 

Soon even Iwaizumi-senpai began to be busier, always patrolling the perimeter of the castle or sent on short trips to the castle village to help with training their militia. He was a knight in all but name, and everyone knew it. If he wasn’t barking orders or on his horse, he was rushing to Tooru’s room, hastily tossing Tobio a wan smile and a honey bun if he ever bumped into him .

It was a sunny day when the horse burst into the castle keep, flanks heaving with exertion and coated with mud. The rider was not much better off, taking in a few gasping lungfuls of air before sprinting to Hanamaki-senpai and demanding to see the king, who exchanged a quick glance with Iwaizumi-senpai and hurried off, leading the man to the War Room while Iwaizumi-senpai quickly unsaddled the horse and lead it to the stables. 

“Tobio,” He said, hazel eyes unconsciously flickering to the doorway when the men had disappeared through, “Let’s practice some more archery.” And that was that. 

Except it wasn’t, and by dinner the next evening the castle was buzzing with the news that the Shiratorizawa Empire had an army, camped right outside the borders of Karasuno Kingdom. An army fifty thousand strong, with at least a thousand knights and thirty platoons of archers and cavalry each. 

And fifty mages as well. 

Mages. Tobio shivered, fingers grasping the bow he had taken to bringing to his rooms now, for some flimsy facade of comfort. Magic was not an unknown, what with how easily Tooru conjured up flowers and helped with the harvest every year, but it was the first time he heard about the weapons that mages could also be. About how one could summon earthquakes that shook the earth and buried men 7 leagues underground, and how another could summon wind so cutting it severed men’s heads from their bodies. 

The infrequent glances he caught of his cousin was now outright erratic- a light burning in the castle library when he got up in the dead of the night for a drink, Iwaizumi-senpai’s calm eyes and slight smile from where he sat in front of the door. 

He felt like he was watching a river slowly gaining momentum, just holding his breath for the moment when it would burst out of the dam and thunder down upon all of their heads. 

* * *

The dam breaks when a tiny oranged haired messenger who looks even younger than Tobio almost skids headlong into the castle gates, panting with his hands on his knees and gulping for air like the man that had brought the first disastrous piece of news. Tobio has a sinking feeling in his stomach that only grows stronger with the foreboding aura the guards radiate when they let him into the castle with a finger that points in the direction of the War Room and the kid _sprints_ , as if even a second wasted would be fatal. 

This was one of the rare mornings where Iwaizumi-senpai was not in the courtyard, but Matsukawa-senpai was, those calm, almost bored eyes tracing the orange messenger's path with a hidden alertness that does not set Tobio at ease. Which he notices, if the careless quirk of a smile he sends Tobio and the forced relaxation of his shoulders is any indication. 

Again, Tobio hears about it second hand the next evening, from Kunimi, the apprentice mage that Tooru favors, when he is rounding the corner and pauses just in time for Kunimi to pass along the gossip to Kindaichi, a new squire who looks at Iwaizumi-senpai like he has all the answers to the universe. Tobio likes to think that he himself hides the adoration a little bit better. 

“Did you hear? The orange-haired kid is a messenger from Karasuno. A speed mage, that’s why they sent him even though he’s our age.” Kunimi’s soft, bored voice barrels on, losing just a bit of its signature apathy and Kindaichi picks up on this too, if the taller boy’s jittery stillness was any indication. 

“Shiratorizawa has invaded Sendai and slaughtered the garrison there. They sent a message to King Samurawara informing him that he could either fight or give up, and now Karasuno’s requesting Aoba Johsai’s help in a formal alliance and do you know what this means, Kindaichi? This means there's going to be a _war_ , and King Oikawa looked so tired, and pale, and my master is doing all that he can but-” Tobio hurries silently away from Kunimi’s steadily wavering voice, feeling a tad guilty for intruding on a clearly private conversation. 

Dinnertime sees Kunimi and Kindaichi sitting together as always, and if Kunimi still has red eyes and a stuffy nose, well, Tobio makes sure to look away. He wasn’t sure he could voice the discomfort he felt anyways, at seeing the normally composed Kunimi break down. 

Eyes wandering across the royal table, he suppresses a shiver to see the King noticeably absent and Tooru with dark circles underneath his eyes. This is the first time Tobio has seen his cousin in some time, and he is shocked at how _tired_ Tooru looks, as if he was Atlas carrying the world on his shoulders. Then Iwaizumi-senpai rests his hand on Tooru’s shoulder, a quick, brief flutter of a thing that Tobio again feels like he should not have seen, and his cousin closes his eyes and leans back, ever so slightly, into his future knight (Because, really, even Tobio was aware enough to know that Iwaizumi-senpai was going to be Tooru’s knight, and Tooru’s knight only). He stands up from his normal position to the right of the King’s seat, and rings the bell situated next to the head of the table for silence. 

He clears his throat, his eyes darting to his left where Iwaizumi-senpai stands for a brief, brief second before he conducts a much more leisurely sweep of the room, pinning each and every inhabitant of the castle with his eyes. Tobio knows deep in his bones that this is not Tooru speaking- this is Crown Prince Oikawa talking to him right now. 

“Hinata-chan, could you stand up?” Everyone’s gaze swings onto the orange-haired boy, who had been seated near the end of the royal table. This close, Tobio could make out his slightly blurred fingers tapping at his side. So this was a mage? Obviously not a war mage, but Tobio was still intrigued to see his magic at work. He wondered if he could ask the other boy to spar while he was here. 

“He has bravely delivered my father and his advisors a message from King Samawara of Karasuno, requesting aid and a formal alliance against Shiratorizawa. He has also informed us that similar messages were sent out to Fukurodani, Date Kyogo, and the Nekomata Clans as well. 

It is very likely that we will acquiesce, if only because Shiratorizawa will no doubt set their eyes on our kingdom next. We are currently working out all the details of the treaty, and I will inform you all as to our next action. For now, please do not panic. I encourage everyone to start vegetable gardens here on castle grounds, and help the villagers plant one behind their homes or within their communities. Stricter rationing will commence, with an increase in the percentage of grain being stored in our storehouses. As of now, our army is taking volunteers who wish to be trained to help protect our people, and the official call for them will be sent out tomorrow. 

If you have any skills in fighting, farming, crafting weapons, healing, or magic, please approach Yahaba-chan and have him note down your name and talents. 

My father apologizes that he could not tell you all this himself, as he has not been feeling well of late. For now, please enjoy your meal.” 

Tooru nodded at the fidgeting messenger to sit before he himself sits down, raising his knife to cut into his venison steak. As the entire hall followed and the sounds of eating and talking filled the cavern, Tobio looked at his mother and aunt, both of whom sat near the head of the table. His mother flashed him a thin smile, before her eyes turned towards his cousin. The Queen, seated across from Tooru, reached across the table to cover his tightly clenched fight with her hand, emerald rings glittering in the flickering fires of the hearths. All three wore a look of deep resignation, tinted with fear- but only just for that one moment before it broke, the Queen withdrawing her hand and Tooru giving her a wan smile, the shadows emphasizing how shallow his cheeks had become. 

Tobio thought that the thin silver circlet he wore as Prince had never felt so heavy, and he wondered just how weightly Tooru’s was. 


End file.
